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6 - The Beginnings

from Part III - The Caste War and Violence: An Overview

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2019

Wolfgang Gabbert
Affiliation:
Leibniz Universität Hannover
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Summary

Battles between large combat units characterized the first phase of the war from July 1847 to the end of 1848, when rebel forces attempted to conquer the area controlled by the government. The insurgents mobilized large detachments, at times amounting to several thousand combatants. Late 1848, however, saw a shift in the nature of the war. According to a contemporary observer, it transmuted into “an eternal war with no quarter,” assuming “a more bloody and fierce character.” This second phase no longer saw large battles but a “guerrilla war in which engagements were daily and everywhere but with no conclusive result.” For the divided and almost routed rebels, the new Cult of the Speaking Cross became a vital cohesive element. The proclamations of the cross offered an interpretation of their destiny and presented past defeats as sanctions for having offended God’s orders, but they also inspired hope for a better future. Beyond this, veneration of the crosses provided inhabitants of different villages and followers of different leaders with a common ideological point of identification.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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  • The Beginnings
  • Wolfgang Gabbert, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Book: Violence and the Caste War of Yucatán
  • Online publication: 09 August 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108666930.007
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  • The Beginnings
  • Wolfgang Gabbert, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Book: Violence and the Caste War of Yucatán
  • Online publication: 09 August 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108666930.007
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Beginnings
  • Wolfgang Gabbert, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Book: Violence and the Caste War of Yucatán
  • Online publication: 09 August 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108666930.007
Available formats
×